Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2015 regular season. Today, the Cleveland Browns.
2014 in a nutshell: On the bright side, they win more games than they have since 2008. Unfortunately, that still results in a 7-9 season for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1994.
Why 2015 could be different: They brought in Josh McCown and Dwayne Bowe to help bolster the offense, as well as Tramon Williams and first-round nose tackle Danny Shelton to boost the D.
Major additions: McCown doesn’t get a lot of people excited, but he’s probably a better option that Johnny Manziel and it’s not as though Brian Hoyer was leading them anywhere. Bowe, who has a Pro Bowl on his résumé, could also help.
Major losses: The departed Hoyer was still the best quarterback on the roster last season and tight end Jordan Cameron, who left as a free agent, flirted with 1,000 yards in 2013.
Breakout watch: Cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was a No. 8 overall pick in 2014, should be starting this season. They need bigger things out of both Gilbert and top-10 2013 pick Barkevious Mingo, who took some step forward as a sophomore but still has just seven career sacks.
Position to watch: Quarterback, of course. This team just can’t get it right. They say Manziel has turned his life around after a stint in rehab, but that won’t necessarily fix his problems on the field. He’ll compete with McCown, who had the second-worst qualified passer rating in the NFL last season.
Prediction: Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are just too good and while this defense has the potential to be half-decent, there are too many issues on the other side of the ball. I’m thinking the Browns take a step backward and finish around 5-11.
